Action 2000 figures show widespread Inaction 2000

Police forces have barely started

An official report from UK government sponsored body Action 2000 shows that there's still a lot of work to do for a large number of organisations to become ready for the year 2000. While our air traffic control and road traffic control systems seem to be safe enough, questions still remain about other elements of basic infrastructure in the country. According to a graph published by Action 2000, hospitals, fire and rescue systems and police services all show elements of "severe risk of material disruption" meaning that there may not be enough time to fix systems by the 31st of December next. Only 48 per cent of police forces across the country have been independently assessed, and of those, nine per cent fall into the red zone. The fire services are in better shape, with only two per cent falling into the red category, while in hospitals and healthcare, nine per cent fall into Action 2000's "red zone". The organisation quotes David Gilbertson, assistant inspector of constabulary in England and Wales, as saying: "It is crucial that forces that are currently coded as "red" address the problem urgently." Action 2000 does not break the police forces at risk out by name. ®